Earth Day 2009 Presentation at Broward College

On the campus of Broward College in Florida, three classes worked together to put together a project to raise environmental awareness during an open house on Earth Day 2009. One of the classes was technical writing class and the other classes were environmental sciences. One of the student’s fathers worked in forest conservation in Peru and the idea surfaced to research what type of chemicals have been used to treat wood and lumber. Although the topic of arsenic-treated wood, specifically CCA, is quite well known to some, it was surprising to this group the dangers that are associated with exposure to arsenic.

Eyebrows were raised at the open house as not only the student researchers, but attendees were quite surprised by the fact that some pressure treated wood can contain high levels of arsenic, which is a known carcinogen. Children are more susceptible to arsenic exposure from playing on playgrounds that contain arsenic wood. Additionally, the researchers provided statistics showing that the amount of arsenic that can be absorbed, in some cases, can be 1000 times greater than the maximum concentration level for drinking water standard that the EPA has in place.

Test Kits Were Used to Determine if Wood Contains Arsenic

The student researchers also provided a brief demonstration that used a unique test kit specifically for determining if pressure treated lumber has been treated with arsenic. Two unknown samples of wood were used, both of which were in outdoor, indicating pressure treatment. Both samples were used in residential applications. The first sample was from a remodeling project at one of the instructor’s house, where excess wood was left behind two years ago. The second sample was purchased from the Home Depot in 2005. The fact that the wood was purchased in 2005 from the Home Depot is significant because in 2004, arsenic-treated lumber was removed from residential service because of the dangers to the public. The first sampled was tested using the test kit and the sample turned blue, which indicated that the wood had been treated with the chemical CCA, which has 22% arsenic. The second sample from the Home Depot did not turn blue and stayed clear, indicating that the wood was not treated with arsenic-based chemicals.

All in all, the open house that these students put on was a success in raising environmental awareness. Although this wood is no longer being sold into residential applications, proper handling and disposal is very important for the public. Events like the project at Broward College go a long way in spreading awareness.

For more information about testing your wood for arsenic, please visit www.arsenichometest.com

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Cyanide refers to a family of carbon-nitrogen bonded molecules. A cyanide “group” can react with other organic and inorganic molecules to form various species of cyanides. Most people think of cyanide poisoning when they think of cyanide. Some cyanide molecules are certainly more toxic than others.

In 1974, Congress passed the Safe Drinking Water Act. This law requires EPA to determine safe levels of chemicals in drinking water which do or may cause health problems. These non-enforceable levels, based solely on possible health risks and exposure, are called Maximum Contaminant Level Goals. All chemicals that have toxic properties that can contaminate ground water have a MCLGs. The MCLG for cyanide has been set at 0.2 parts per million (ppm).

One might ask, “How does cyanide makes its way into ground water?”.  A specific form of cyanide is hydrogen cyanide, which is used in industry to manufacture various nylons and other synthetic resins that are used in the plastics industry.  The steel, metal, and iron industries throughout the 1980s discharged the most cyanide from their plants into waste streams that went into public water.  It was estimated that in the late 1980s to the early 1990s, over 5 billions pounds of cyanide per year was produced in these industries.  It wasn’t until 1992 that regulation of cyanide discharge from plants became regulated.  The EPA began require potable water treatment plants to monitor the cyanide levels in the water.  This became a matter of public record.

Cyanides are not generally persistent in the environment, however they do not bind to soils which means they can leach into ground water very easily.  This is the problem with dumping over 5 billions pounds a year of this stuff into the environment.  Additionally, test methods for cyanide are not easy to perform.  The methods of testing involve complex laboratory instruments, which some municipalities do not have and therefore do not perform.  Chemicals such as chlorine, arsenic, etc, have quick field test kits for recording concentrations.  Cyanide detection is more difficult.

If the water quality in the area that you live in has cyanide levels consistently above the MCLG of the EPA, you can install in your home an ion exchange filter or a reverse osmosis system to remove the cyanide.

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By: Zach Adams

What is a gray water system?  Any water that has been used in the home, except water from toilets, is called gray water. Dish, shower, sink, and laundry water comprise 50-80% of residential “waste” water. This may be reused for other purposes, especially landscape irrigation.

Clean water on this planet will become more and more of a commodity in the future.  The need for clean water can already be seen in developing countries around the world.  In the US, we are used to having as much water at our disposal as we want.  The average US citizen uses about 120 gallons of water per day.  This includes toilet flushing, showers, laundry, dishes, and drinking.

It doesn’t take much imagination to realize how much clean water is wasted everyday.  There is a tremendous amount of energy that is consumed to treat water and transport it through a distribution system to the community.  Energy conservation is directly proportional to water conservation, and this problem will only grow in complexity as population increases and energy sources deplete.

I’m going to be helping my friend build a gray water system on his house.  His goal is to have a completely sustainable living space.  Being that I’m a chemical engineer and specialize in water treatment, I’m  very excited about the prospect of helping to put in a gray water system to help recycle and reuse spent water in an effort to be fully sustainable.  The term gray water can mean a variety of things.  Some people like to collect the spent water from their house and send use it for irrigation.  This is useful for not only gardens, but crops and agriculture.  Other applications of gray water use would be to recycle the water throughout the house, treat, and use again.  This is a bit more complicated, but the benefits can be tremendous.  Also, part of this project will inlcude working with the city (or country) here in Georgia.  I don’t know how strict they are, but I’m sure proving that all the equipment is NSF approved will be sufficient.

Stay Tuned for the follow-up!

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Living in a developed country, there are many things that we take for granted everyday.  One of the most overlooked aspects in our country, I feel, is the quality of our water.   People often consider tap water to be filthy and full of contaminants, when individuals in 3rd world countries would love to have access to the quality of water that we have here in the US.

As with most problems in developing countries, the water quality issues are related to infrastructure.  Our cities in the US are designed so that water is treated at a central location and then distributed in a very efficient manner to the community.  At water treatment plants, the water undergoes multiple stages of filtering, oxidation, and finally chlorination.  The chlorination provides a residual that enables the water to stay disinfected from the point of treatment at the plant to the point of use in the community.  Often, a water distribution system will use booster stations, where the water is re-chlorinated to ensure proper chlorine residual for disinfection.  Developing countries, obviously lack this type infrastructure.

There are many barriers to overcome to properly treat the water in the communities of developing countries.  Often times, there is a strong cultural belief in areas that sickness and illnesses within the community are a result of bad spirits and mythic beliefs.  The concept of pathogen control in water is foreign to these people.  For example, I was talking with an exchange student from Haiti yesterday who is studying public health in developing countries.  One of the issues in Haiti is the voodoo culture believes that HIV is an expression of negative spirits in an individual and has nothing to do with the biosphere.  He told me that until the witch doctors in the community were properly educated and agreed to tell the locals that HIV is part of the biospehere, there was little influence from the medical community.  After the witch doctors cooperated with medical aid, the locals began to agree to be educated on safe practices to prevent HIV.

The same holds true for water treatment in these areas.  Proper education of the dangers of non-disinfected water along with point of use treatment products will be a step in the right direction.  Although we have very advanced water treatment available, such as UV, chlorine generation, hydrogen peroxide, etc, developing countries need to understand the application and the purpose of water disinfection.  Anyone can drop some calicum hypochlorite granules into a jug of water to destroy pathogens that cause diahrea, however,  they must first understand why.

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My previous post discussed various types of landfill liners that are used to contain hazardous chemicals solid waste disposal applications.  If proper measures are not taken, and they often are not, then there are specific hazards associated with toxic chemicals leaching into the soil in landfills that are not properly lined.

For the most part, most of the rural United States uses a combination of groundwater and surface water to supply drinking water to the community.  Groundwater is comprised basically of wells and aquifers.  Surface water can be rivers, reclaimed water, and lakes, to name a few.  Groundwater often contains high concentrations of minerals that water “picks up” as it is filtered through the soil and finally into the underground natural reservoir.  Depending on soil content in the region,  the water can pick up all types of unwanted chemicals.  These chemicals, such as arsenic and organic compounds are difficult and very costly to remediate.

This is where the proper disposal of toxic solid waste using a landfill liner is so important.  There are tremendous amounts of solid waste that are being improperly landfill everyday, which will put a burden on the water treatment industry in the future.  An example are the millions of boards of pressure treated lumber that are being decommissioned everyday.  This wood is often not segregated from non-hazardous waste, and thus enters non-hazardous, non-lined landfills.  The chemical that will leach out of this wood is arsenic and will eventually make its way into the ground water.  This will be a huge problem in the coming years.

What can you do?  I’m starting to find out what the regulations are here in Georgia for landfilling hazardous waste.  Find out who your state representative is and ask what the legislation is for your state regarding disposal of chemically treated wood.  More information on testing wood for arsenic can be found at www.arsenichometest.com.

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Resistance to chemical attack is important because the theory of landfill design says that the landfill liner must maintain its integrity for the duration of the hazard it is supposed to contain. If the garbage in the landfill will remain toxic for thousands of years, the landfill liner must maintain its integrity for thousands of years; if the liner fails before the hazard has gone away, the failed liner will allow the hazard to escape, and we will have simply passed today’s problem onto our children and grandchildren.

HDPE is not attacked by most inorganic chemicals and is insoluble in most organic solvents at room temperature. In a study of linear polyethylenes, only 14 of 270 chemicals and materials were rated as capable of causing, upon prolonged exposure at room temperature, softening, embrittlement, or a significant loss of strength.

There are many household chemicals that will degrade HDPE, permeating it (passing through it), making it lose its strength, softening it, or making it become brittle and crack. If you’ve ever held a thick (100 mil, or 1/10 of an inch) piece of HDPE landfill liner in your hand, you know it’s about as stiff as a linoleum tile. If chemicals make it even stiffer and it cracks under the massive weight of the garbage heaped above it, that’s all she wrote for the safety of the local environment.

In addition to many individual chemicals (mentioned below), there are two major classes of chemicals that are not compatible with HDPE: aromatic hydrocarbons, and halogenated hydrocarbons. The basic aromatic hydrocarbon is benzene (a major component of gasoline); others are toluene (also called methylbenzene), and the three xylenes (o-, m-and p-xylene). Others include naphthalene (moth balls), and pdichlorobenzene (also moth balls). These aromatic hydrocarbons permeate excessively and cause package deformation.

Another class of compounds incompatible with HDPE is halogenated hydrocarbons. The most familiar names here are carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, DDT, aldrin, dieldrin, lindane, 2,4-D, 2,4,5-T, trichloroethylene, trichloroethane, perchloroethylene, and so forth. The full list is very long and growing all the time as chemists find new ways to attach chlorine, fluorine, bromine and iodine atoms to carbon and hydrogen.

One opf the more pressing requirements for lined landfills in the coming years will be the disposal of arsenic treated lumber, which will be going out of commission in the next 15-20 years.  States like Florida that have a shallow water table, must use linded landfills to prevent arsenic from contaminating the drinking water.

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By: Zach Adams

In the world of chlorination and disinfection for drinking water, one of the hot button issues is disinfection byproducts, or DBPs.  This topic is used in the industry to classify side reactions that occur when chlorine reacts in water for disinfection purposes.  These side reactions create unwanted molecules that have been the subject of a lot of research in the last few years.

First, I think it’s importnant to understand what exactly is happening when chlorine is added to water.  Whether chlorine gas, bleach, or calcium hypochlorite is used for chlorination, each type of chlorine produces the same hypochlorous acid molecule, HOCl.  So the reaction looks like this: Cl-X+H20 -> HOCl + byproduct.  The Cl-X is generic for whatever from of chlorine that you use.  Each form produces different disinfection byproducts.  Aqueous chlorine, HOCl is what disinfects and is harmless.  What has been a growing concern in the industry is these byproducts.

Municipalities have begun the move away from gas chlorine because of the toxicity of chlorine gas.  Large applications use bleach.  Sodium hypochlorite, aka bleach, is an aqueous solution of concentrated chlorine.  The concentration of the chlorine in a bleach solution is between 10-15% chlorine.  This is an extremely concentrated and unstable form of chlorine.  The instability of a bleach solution means that the product degrades relatively quickly.  The hypochlorous acid, HOCl, in a bleach solution degrades quickly, especially in warm environments.  As the product degrades, the HOCl converts into byproducts.  Some of these byproducts include perchlorates and chlorates.  Chlorate is what is known as a hemotoxin, which interferes with red blood cells ability to carry oxygen.  I wrote a blog entry in November about perchlorates, please search my blog for this article for more information.

Studies have shown that for a bleach solution, the initial concentration of chlorates can be close to 15 ppm.  After 30 days, the concentration doubles to 30 ppm as a result of product degradation.  Calcium hypochlorite is another form chlorine, however, the disinfection byproducts such as chlorate and perchlorate are virtually non-existant.  Calcium hypochlorite is a solid form of chlorine that is dissolved onsite to generates aqueous solutions of chlorine that are much less concentrated and safer than bleach.  Solutions of calcium hypochlorite are usually 1.5% or less chlorine.  Studies have shown that chlorates in calcium hypochlorite solutions are 2 ppm or less, and do not increase over time.

Visit my new site, The Chemical Watchdog 2.0 to add your own information or voice your concerns regarding the chemicals that we are exposed to everyday.

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By: Zach Adams

The landfilling of pressure treated wood is an environmental issue that I do not hear enough about.  Think about it: how much chromated copper arsenate treated wood is in service and then how for the next 30 years, this wood is going to be landfilled.  The environmental impact of this could be significant if proper precautions are not taken.

Chromated copper arsenate, or CCA, contains the chemical arsenic.  Arsenic is a known carcinogen, and must be handled with care.  In 2004, the EPA banned the use of CCA and ACZA for pressure treated lumber in residential applications because of the consumer exposure to arsenic.  This was good news, however, what about all the existing wood in circulation?  Ignoring the immediate health affect of arsenic treated wood, what’s to be done with this toxic wood when it’s taken out of service?

As far as I know, there are two states that have been progressive when it comes to arsenic treated lumber: Florida and California.  Both states have begun to implement proper landfilling regulations for arsenic treated lumber, which is solid waste.  Why can’t arsenic treated lumber be thrown away with the rest of the solid waste?  Because as it degrades in the earth, the arsenic leaches out and can contaminate our drinking water.  Once arsenic is in drinking water, the remediation process is difficult and expensive.  In California, for example, if a well is drilled for drinking water, and arsenic is in the water, they will drill another well instead of trying remove the arsenic.

Arsenic is a naturally ocurring chemical, and there are arsenic veins in the soil in certain parts of the country, but all the billions of pounds of synthesized arsenic chemicals that will be landfilled from CCA treated lumber will put a large stress on the water treatment industry.

What can be done?  I’m working on determining what our landfilling laws are here in Georgia.  CCA treated lumber should be disposed of in lined landfills for toxic waste.  I am going to generate a list of all the state representatives for each state that is responsible for solid waste landfilling so that people can contact or email and ask what is their respective state doing to make sure that arsenic treated lumber is going into the proper landfill.

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Methyl bromide has been used for decades to sterilize soil and clear it of any fungus, weeds, worms or bacteria that could threaten crops. But it was slated for a worldwide ban in 2005 under the Montreal Protocol, an international agreement to reduce the use of substances that deplete the earth’s protective ozone layer.  Americans won international approval to continue using the chemical into 2006–which environmentalists, advocates and workers denounced as a dangerous step back.

But in California, farmers are looking for alternatives.  Roger Wasson, head of California’s Strawberry Commission, said that about 30 percent of California’s strawberries were grown without methyl bromide. Officials at California’s Department of Pesticide Regulation said the state also strengthened its methyl bromide regulations by announcing new rules that determine the maximum amount of the chemical that can remain in the air weeks after application.

Activists who want to see reductions in the use of methyl bromide should look to our regulations as a model for the nation,” said Glenn Brank, the department’s spokesman.

But environmental and worker advocate groups, the Environmental Defense Fund and the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation, sued the state’s pesticide regulators Dec. 1, alleging they ignored recommendations from other government scientists to set a higher standard.  When it comes to a pesticide like methyl bromide, the safest route is to avoid it, they said.

People all over the world are using effective alternatives,” said Margaret Reeves, staff scientist with the international group Pesticide Action Network.

In Prague, ozone experts and representatives from 188 countries that signed the treaty agreed to let the United States use 10,472 tons of the pesticide next year, and about 7,641 in 2006–less than the United States asked for, but more than it used in 2003, when consumption was down to 7,446 tons, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  California farmers said the exemptions were needed to help the industry transition into alternatives without losing its ability to produce safe, healthful food. The fumigant is already applied with care–injected up to a foot into the soil, which is covered with a tarp to prevent drift, Nagata said.

It’s a wonderful chemical,” he said. “I’d love to use it for the next 50 years.”

Growers say there is no other single chemical or technique that is as effective in completely sterilizing fields. Other chemicals can add up to a month to the planting process, and require more chemical use later in the season. Organic approaches are more labor intensive and less productive, they said.  But workers with experience handling the chemical worry that any delays in reducing methyl bromide use will have severe consequences for the environment and the people who live and work near the fields.

According to the latest figures available, 31 people suffered acute methyl bromide poisoning between 1997 and 2000. Experts say that number doesn’t represent additional cases of people suffering ailments from long-term contact with the chemical. A four-year study of 55,332 farmers and farm workers by the National Cancer Institute last year found that their risk of developing prostate cancer rose with the frequency and duration of their exposure to methyl bromide, said Reeves of the Pesticide Action Network.

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Preservation of food items is a prerequisite for food security. The seasonal nature of production and the long and unmanageable distances between the production and consumption centers and the rising gap between demand and supply have posed great challenges to conventional techniques of food preservation and thereby to food security. The hot and humid climate of the country is quite favorable to the growth of numerous insects and micro organisms which destroy stored crops and cause spoilage of food.

Radiation of food items involves treating certain types of food with ionizing energy or radiation. It is used to destroy bacteria and parasites that cause human illnesses. It can also make food last longer by destroying or inactivating insects, molds, yeasts etc. that spoil food and delay ripening of fruits and vegetables besides limiting unwanted sprouting of potatoes and similar vegetables.

Under radiation processing, the food is subjected to radiation by exposing it to a source of ionizing radiation. This ionizing radiation usually is in the form of gamma rays from a source of cobalt-60 or from a non-radio active source like electron beam generated from electricity. Electron beam technology does not require the use of radioactive source material and can be tuned on and off. The gamma rays are similar to ultraviolet light or microwaves, but of much shorter wavelength and greater energy. In radiation of food, gamma rays pass through food the same way microwaves pass through food, but the food remains cool. Through radiation, the genetic material of the contaminating organism is damaged so that they can no longer survive or multiply.

Radiation technique makes the food safer to eat by destroying bacteria which is very much similar to the process of pasteurization. In effect, radiation disrupts the biological processes that lead to decay and the ability to sprout. Being a cold process, radiation can be used to pasteurize and sterilize foods without causing changes in freshness and texture of food unlike heat. Further, unlike chemical fumigants, radiation does not leave any harmful toxic residues in food and is more effective and can be used to treat packaged commodities too.

Radiation does not leave the food items radio active for two seasons. First, the gamma rays from cobalt-60 used in food radiation are not energetic enough to make it radio active. Second, as the food never comes into contact with the source directly, it is not possible for the food to become contaminated with radio active material.

Studies have proved that in comparison to other food processing and preservation methods, the nutritional value is least affected by radiation processing. Extensive scientific studies have also shown that radiation has very little effect on the main nutrients such as proteins, carbohydrates, fats and minerals. Generally, vitamins show varied sensitivity to food processing methods including radiation.

Radiation processing to preserve food has its limitations too, since not all types of food can be treated with ionizing radiation. Many dairy products treated with ionizing radiation develop objectionable changes in flavor, odor and color. Eggs are also not amenable to radiation processing.

In the changing scenario of world trade, switching over to radiation processing of food assumes great importance. Countries guard against import of exotic insect pests by requiring a post harvest disinfestation treatment of commodities that can carry pests. Radiation can be used for disinfestation of pests and disease-causing organisms from a range of products including fruits and vegetables.  Above all, radiation will be moving fast to the status of a ‘wonder technology’ to satisfy the sanitary and phyto sanitary requirements of the importing countries.

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